An update on raw materials costs. Brass just jumped by 8% since Tuesday( second jump this year) yeilding a 232% increase in its cost since 2006.

Allan, is this due to the increased price of copper?

First applogies, missed key stroke, 132% not 232%.

I don't think so at least not this last one as an English and several Chinese commodities firms were busted by international law enforcement a few weeks ago with loads of warehouses full of copper, they were buying up to artificially jack up the price ( same thing happend out of a Fed sting started in March on domenstic oil commodities brokers, last month when the price of oil started to go down its because the Fed rounded up hundereds at one firm doing the exact same thing and the rest got paranoid and stopped buying oil shares/lots). The price on copper has actually come down a little since that hit.